Okinawa gubernatorial election debates relations with Tokyo
In Japan, ahead of the Okinawa prefectural governor election scheduled for September 13, one of the main issues has become the region’s relationship with the central government in Tokyo. Incumbent Governor Denny Tamaki, who is seeking a third term, and his rival Genta Koja have differing views on how the prefectural leader should defend its interests, The Japan Times reports.
Koja, 42, a former deputy mayor of Naha, said he does not want to portray the central government as Okinawa’s enemy. He proposes focusing on economic revitalization, including a promise to double the incomes of prefectural residents. Tamaki, 66, said he would clearly speak out against government decisions he considers unacceptable.
Futenma base moves into the background
The issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the city of Ginowan to the coastal Henoko area in the city of Nago is less prominent in this election campaign. Tamaki has long advocated cancelling the base relocation within Okinawa, but after losing a court case to the central government, he has no way to halt construction of the new facility in Henoko.
In his seven main campaign pledges, Tamaki did not mention Henoko. Instead, he emphasizes his administration’s achievements, including the fact that annual tourism-related revenue in Okinawa exceeded ¥1 trillion for the first time.
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Tamaki also said that the U.S. government reportedly demands a separate runway, about 3,000 meters long, from the new facility in Henoko as a condition for returning to Japan the land currently occupied by Futenma base. The governor said he would strongly object if this involves transferring Naha Airport.
Conservative coalition and a change in strategy
Koja has been backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Japan Innovation Party, the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan and the Okinawa chapter of Komeito. Prefectural business representatives who have sided with him seek to return control of local government to conservative forces for the first time in 12 years.
At the same time, Sanseito’s involvement has caused discontent among some medical professionals supporting Koja because of the party’s skeptical stance on vaccination. Tensions in his camp were also caused by the withdrawal from the race of former House of Representatives member Mikio Shimoji, who backed Koja before the campaign began after signing a political agreement with the LDP leadership.
This time, Tamaki is not emphasizing the All Okinawa coalition, which saw many conservative members leave after the death of former governor Takeshi Onaga in 2018. His team is trying to mobilize voters with the slogan of Okinawa’s right to self-determination and is using the governor’s personal popularity during street speeches.
